Hotel Cipriani, A Belmond Hotel, Venice: Resort Amenities, City Views

Hotel Cipriani is just minutes from St. Mark’s Square in Venice, one of the busiest sites in one of the world’s most touristed cities—especially between spring and fall, when the hotel is open for the season. But you’d hardly know it once you’re inside. Check in for a respite from all the commotion and the chance to feel like a member of the Venetian nobility, complete with your very own palazzo.

Located on a quiet island embedded in the Venetian Lagoon, Hotel Cipriani ferries guests from central St. Mark’s Square to the scenic end of Giudecca, one of Venice’s quieter island groups. The complimentary service runs every few minutes, and with views of central Venice and San Giorgio Maggiore (the city’s famed 16th-century Benedictine church), the trip to and fro can feel like a luxe sightseeing tour.

While there’s so much to explore around Venice, you may not want to leave the property once you arrive. The hotel strikes a perfect balance between seclusion and convenience, with five restaurants and bars, a full-service spa and salon, a red-clay tennis court and sprawling gardens with grape vines, manicured thyme, a thriving family of ducks and walls covered in fragrant star jasmine.

Hotel Cipriani’s breakfast spread is a highlight, and it’s included for all guests. With a selection of sparkling wines, à la carte dishes like eggs Benedict and eggs à la royale (with smoked salmon), sliced-to-order cheese, fresh jams and a dessert station that will have you crawling back into bed to nap, you’ll quickly feel like you’re a guest star on an Italian soap opera.

Perhaps most notable, however, is the almost comically large outdoor swimming pool. The result of a planning error, the oversize pool is filled with heated (and thoroughly treated) canal water, and it serves as the centerpiece of the hotel, with fantastic views, abundant loungers and attentive service from the adjacent Bar Gabbiano. It’s the perfect spot to laze away the day before walking over to Il Porticciolo, the hotel’s sceney canal-side raw bar.

Breakfast includes a large buffet, selections from the à la carte menu and free-flowing bubbly.

The Room

Most rooms at Hotel Cipriani are airy and spacious, bucking the trend of compact accommodations you’ll find at many hotels across Europe. Unless you’re traveling solo, you’ll want to skip the entry-level room, a Single, which is designed for just one guest. These rooms are located in the 15th-century Palazzo Vendramin and feature an especially tight layout with a small marble bathroom.

If you’re traveling with a companion, the Premium Lagoon View Room With Balcony is the ideal category, with a large bedroom and bathroom, a king-size bed, a private balcony and views of the lagoon. Premium St. Mark’s View Rooms look out over the square, and while they don’t have outdoor space, they are generously sized, with dedicated living and dining areas.

The hotel also has a variety of suites, and you may choose between a lagoon view or a garden view. Splurge for a St. Mark’s View Suite if you want a clear shot of Doge’s Palace and the square.

The Features

For fantastic views, don’t miss dinner and drinks at Cip’s Club at sunset.

Don’t miss: A leisurely lagoon-side breakfast, where you can nurse a glass of something while you watch boats ferry guests to and from their private-island hotels. Save room for the cheese selection—a creamy Taleggio, a sharp Gorgonzola scooped from a giant wheel—and sweets like frangipane tarts topped with fresh fruit and croissants stuffed with nutty pistachio cream.

Favorite feature: According to the hotel, the Casanova Gardens—named for the 18th-century author Giacomo Casanova—are the same gardens where the writer once wooed his lovers. Abundant outdoor space is uncommon in Venice, but plentiful at the Cipriani. Wandering through the sprawling gardens, it’s easy to feel seduced by the birds building nests in the silver maple trees, or the heavy perfume of jasmine flowers. 

Can’t stop thinking about: The spectacular views of Venice during sunrise strolls along the pedestrianized Fondamenta San Giovanni Laterano, and dinner and drinks at Cip’s Club. On a clear night, you can watch the sun set behind St. Mark’s Square and Santa Maria della Salute, one of the city’s most famous basilicas—minus the overwhelming crowds.

The Lowdown

The hotel’s oversize pool is filled with heated (and thoroughly treated) canal water.

The highly specific reason you’d come here: You enjoy the action of town and being out and about, but when it comes to a good night’s sleep, you prefer something quiet and out of the way. 

What are you packing? Hotel Cipriani is a seasonal stay, open every year between spring and fall, so pack your summer best. Guests tend to dress up—jackets and dresses are a common sight even at breakfast, and certainly wouldn’t be out of place at lunch and dinner.

What are people drinking? The Bellini is the signature cocktail. Invented by hotel founder Giuseppe Cipriani, the version served here is a simple blend of prosecco and white peach puree, and is available only when the fruit is in season (typically between May and September).

The family-friendly amenity that’s really for the parents: The Smile Club, a supervised kids club for children ages 4 to 12. The hotel always puts forth an effort to make kids feel at home, with kid-friendly menus, a dedicated children’s pool, special spa treatments and DVDs to take back to the room.

The story you’ll tell everyone when you get home: A British architect’s confusion around the metric system resulted in an unintentionally large pool, particularly notable in Venice, where land comes at a premium. As the story goes, he mixed up feet and meters, much to the benefit of hotel guests, who now enjoy the hotel’s enormous, 108-foot-long heated pool.

End your day along Fondamenta San Giovanni Laterano, with fantastic views of the city.

Fast Facts

Number of rooms: 67

Number of pools: 1

Fitness center? Yes

Spa? Yes

Salon? Yes

Number of bars/restaurants: 5

24-hour room service? Yes

Childcare and kids club? Yes

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